Class Notes: Students explore China

Students from Hall County are experiencing the culture of China as part of the Arizona State University Confucius Institute Chinese Bridge Summer Camp.

Exotic food, martial arts and an introduction to Eastern religions have all been part of the trip so far.

The county’s five Chinese teachers — from Wauka Multiple Intelligences Academy, Mount Vernon Elementary School, Riverbend Elementary School and World Language Academy — are due back from China on Aug. 4.

The institute and the school system have a partnership in which the institute supplies a teacher from China for some Hall schools each year.

You can keep up with the trip on Twitter, where Wauka Mountain gifted education teacher Kyle Frederick is tweeting photos and updates.

UNG commencement to take place Saturday

The University of North Georgia will hold its summer commencement ceremony at 2 p.m. Saturday at Memorial Hall Gymnasium on the Dahlonega campus.

The ceremony will honor graduates from all four UNG campuses. Lynn Jackson, administrator of Northside Hospital-Forsyth, is the commencement speaker.

Tickets are required to attend the ceremony, and will be provided to students with their graduation packets today.

Separate commissioning ceremonies will also be held Saturday for members of the Corps of Cadets entering the armed forces as second lieutenants. The individual commissioning ceremonies will be held in the atrium of the Brooks Pennington Jr. Military Leadership Center beginning at 9 a.m.

Hall school board to discuss taxes

The Hall County Board of Education plans to hear special purpose local option sales tax requests under the district’s facilities expansion plan at its combined work session and regular meeting at 6 tonight at the district office at 711 Green St., Gainesville. It is the first meeting since June 23.

The board also has plans to review an analysis of SPLOST IV revenues, review the district financial report from June 30 and hear requests for field trips and a memorandum of understanding with the Federal University of Sao Joao del-Rei in Brazil.